Elijah – Nowhere to go but Up

The Call of Elisha
1 Kings 19:19-21

19Elijah found Elisha, son of Shaphat. Elisha was plowing behind 12 pairs of oxen. He was using the twelfth pair. Elijah took off his coat and put it on Elisha. 20So Elisha left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, “Please let me kiss my father and mother goodbye. Then I will follow you.”  “Go back,” Elijah answered him. “I’m not stopping you.”  21Elisha left him, took two oxen, and butchered them. He boiled the meat, using the oxen’s yoke for firewood. He gave the meat to the people to eat. Then he left to follow and assist Elijah.

1)    Elisha is obviously excited about being Elijah’s disciple. Who’s a good teacher you’ve had? What made them good?


Teacher: Share a story of one of your mentors.
Group: Pray for the students to have a Godly mentor.

This story brings to mind Luke 9:57-62

57As they were walking along the road, a man said to Jesus, “I’ll follow you wherever you go.” 58Jesus told him, “Foxes have holes, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to sleep.”   

59He told another man, “Follow me!”   But the man said, “Sir, first let me go to bury my father.”  60But Jesus told him, “Let the dead bury their own dead. You must go everywhere and tell about the kingdom of God.”  

61Another said, “I’ll follow you, sir, but first let me tell my family goodbye.” 62Jesus said to him, “Whoever starts to plow and looks back is not fit for the kingdom of God.”

2)    What is Jesus trying to tell these people who want to be disciples?


2 Kings 2:1-8

1When the Lord was going to take Elijah to heaven in a windstorm, Elijah and Elisha left Gilgal. 2Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here because the Lord is sending me to Bethel.”  Elisha answered, “I solemnly swear, as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not abandon you.” So they went to Bethel. 3Some of the disciples of the prophets at Bethel came to Elisha. They asked him, “Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?”  He answered, “Yes, I know. Be quiet.”  

4Elijah said, “Elisha, please stay here because the Lord is sending me to Jericho.”   Elisha answered, “I solemnly swear, as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not abandon you.” So they went to Jericho.  5Then some of the disciples of the prophets who were in Jericho approached Elisha. They asked, “Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?”   He answered, “Yes, I know. Be quiet.”  

6Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here because the Lord is sending me to the Jordan River.”   Elisha answered, “I solemnly swear, as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not abandon you.”  7Fifty disciples of the prophets stood at a distance as Elijah and Elisha stood by the Jordan River. 8Elijah took his coat, rolled it up, and struck the water with it. The water divided to their left and their right, and the two men crossed the river on dry ground.

3)    Why won’t Elisha leave Elijah?


2 Kings 2:9-14

9While they were crossing, Elijah asked Elisha, “What should I do for you before I’m taken from you?”   Elisha answered, “Let me inherit a double share of your spirit.”  10Elijah said, “You have asked for something difficult. If you see me taken from you, it will be yours. Otherwise, it will not.”   

11As they continued walking and talking, a fiery chariot with fiery horses separated the two of them, and Elijah went to heaven in a windstorm.  12When Elisha saw this, he cried out, “Master! Master! Israel’s chariot and horses!” When he couldn’t see Elijah anymore, he grabbed his own garment and tore it in two to show his grief. 13Then he picked up Elijah’s coat (which had fallen off Elijah), went back, and stood on the bank of the Jordan River. 14He took the coat and struck the water with it. He asked, “Where is the Lord God of Elijah?” As he struck the water, it divided to his left and his right, and Elisha crossed the river.

4)    The men who had hassled Elisha before insisted on searching for Elijah, because they didn’t believe him. (Understandable.) What was Elisha asking for? How do you know he got it?


5)    You’re Elisha and you’ve received this great gift: what do you do next?



Image Credits: Lawrence OP and the RevSteve @ Flickr